Microsoft is offering European Windows 10 users one year of free security updates

Microsoft is offering Windows 10 users from the European Economic Area (EEA) one year of free security updates, without requiring them to back up settings, apps, or credentials, or use Microsoft Rewards.

Windows 10 was released on July 29th, 2015. However, after a decade of releasing free updates, Microsoft decided that the servicing of its operating system would end on October 14th, 2025.

Microsoft intended to release critical security updates after this date only for those who participate in the company’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) program. The tech company would charge $30 a year for extra support for consumers.

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However, Microsoft reconsidered and will now offer Windows 10 users in the European Economic Area (EEA) free security updates until October 13th, 2026. On top of that, this doesn’t require engagement with Microsoft Rewards, OneDrive, or other tied services.

Consumer rights group Euroconsumers is very pleased with Microsoft’s one-year, no-cost ESU option for European Windows 10 users. However, the advocacy group is disappointed that Microsoft’s offer only lasts one year.

“The ESU program is limited to one year, leaving devices that remain fully functional exposed to risk after October 13th, 2026. Such a short-term measure falls short of what consumers can reasonably expect for a product that remains widely used and does not align with the spirit of the Digital Content Directive (DCD), nor the EU’s broader sustainable goals,” Euroconsumers says in an open letter addressed to Microsoft Ireland.

The interest group finds it regrettable that upgrading to Windows 11 comes with new hardware requirements, including a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 and a 64-bit processor.

“This creates a huge additional burden for consumers, with some estimates suggesting that over 850 million active devices still rely on Windows 10 and cannot be upgraded due to hardware requirements,” the group says.

Last week, US advocacy group Consumer Reports appealed to Microsoft to prolong Windows 10 support for free.

“This decision will strand millions of consumers who have computers that are incompatible with Windows 11, and force them to pay $30 for a one-year extension of support, spend hundreds on a new Windows 11-capable computer, or do nothing and see the security and functionality of their computer degrade over time,” the group wrote in a statement.

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